Looking for an easy, healthy and handmade way to curl your hair? Learn how to sew fabric curlers with Bonnie from Peppermint Magazine.
I have a few refashioning projects to showcase this month. One of the things I like about refashioning garments, is that there is usually a story involved. The projects come with a shot of nostalgia. Back in April I previewed a wedding dress I had taken on as a refashioning project. Our bride Jamie really wanted to wear her mother's wedding dress. I don't think she actually liked the dress all that much (and her fiance actively disliked it), but she really liked the idea of wearing something of her mother as she walked down the aisle. Yep, classic 1970's wedding dress: floor length skirt (as opposed to 1960's wedding tea dresses), fitted lace sleeves, high neck lace overlay on top of princess neckline bodice. Jamie's mom looked gorgeous in it: Isn't it funny how context changes everything? The dress looks perfect on Jamie's mom in these photos. I think it's because everything goes together - the hair, the hat/veil, even the flower arrangement. It looks old-fashioned on the dress form, but on Jamie's mom it looks sexy and hip. It's harder to like the dress in a modern context, and it needed some help to work for Jamie. First, even though it had been packed away carefully by a dry cleaner (we had to break the seal to get at it!), it had yellowed a bit in places and was certainly not the bright white color it once was. After researching online, I decided it needed a bath. I removed all the metal bits (buttons, hook and eye, zipper) and soaked it in our tub for 24 hours in cool water. I discovered that our tub will not hold water for that long, so I had to add more water every few hours. This may have helped as the dirty water was replaced by clean multiple times during the soak. And it worked!! Before After (with sneak peek of corset back) I have to admit I was surprised by the results - I was worried that I would somehow damage the dress and I didn't expect it to brighten as much as it did. But there was no other way to do it - it's not like I could cut off a piece of the dress to test it! The second step was to remove the lace sleeves and yokes. I carefully removed the lace applique that vined up from the bust and the back, and picked away the mesh from the bodice. Jamie wanted this preserved in case her own daughter someday wants to incorporate it back into a new design. I love imagining what this dress might become in 30 or so years! Back of lace applique Mesh, lace, and inside of bodice For the third step I needed to tackle the straps. I very luckily had a 1/2 yard of perfectly matching silk satin in my stash. I found a pattern with straps and neckline similar to what Jamie was imagining and made a muslin. Jamie came to try it on so we could tweak it for fit and placement. Muslin fitting Pattern pieces for straps/neckline Now it was time to tackle the back closure. The dress was a titch too small, and Jamie loved the idea of a corset back. I follow the blog Fit for a Queen, in which Mrs Mole tells stories of the brides and wedding gowns she tackles in her alterations business - it's both hilarious and informative. I knew she had added corset backs to a number of wedding gowns, so I wrote to her asking for help. And Mrs Mole delivered: she sent me to a step-by-step photo tutorial she had written up for Sew Much Talent AND gave me guidance on where to buy satin cording. I was so pleased I didn't have to try to figure this out on my own!! Loops sewn from cording and Petersham ribbon Snaps to hold modesty panel in place while lacing Modesty panel backed with cotton for support/comfort, boning to stop it from flopping. All laced up! The ribbon is as close to "Cubbie blue" as I could find. Thank you, Soutache! I found this strange, but the dress bodice wasn't lined and it had no boning for structure. I wanted it to have both, so I made an internal corset from the same pattern (Vogue 2237) I used for the wedding dress I made in 2013, and hand stitched this into the bodice. Finally, all that was left to be done was adding back the lace applique and bustling the back for dancing. Jamie's sister under the dress to learn how to tie the bustles! This was a scary process - I was terrified much of the time that I would both ruin Jamie's mother's dress and ruin Jamie's wedding because she wouldn't have enough time to get another dress. I do like taking on these heart-racing projects every now and again, and every time I finish one successfully I have a little more faith in my ability. But it was nice to have some pants to hem when it was all over! And finally, here are some pictures of Jamie from her wedding day in the finished dress (nothing was ruined!). Isn't she a beautiful bride? Her photographer was Brittany Lynn from Brittany Lynn Studios. I love when I get to see dresses in action, and Brittany is good photographer. Getting tied up (I lent my wedding earrings to Jamie so she would have something borrowed.) Congratulations to John and Jamie! I do like getting to be a part of these transformations!
Learn how to make a DIY Phone Armband with this easy sewing tutorial! Once you learn how to make an armband for yourself, you'll never buy one again!
Sewing for charity is a great way to help others. Here's 12 sewing charities to helps right now perfect for sewing beginners up to seasoned sewists.
DIY Easy Zippered Box Bag Pouch Tutorial
7 Pages of Easy Sewing Exercises For Beginner Sewers Becoming proficient at sewing is really a matter of time spent...
Free kippah sewing pattern with written directions and video tutorial. Sewing for Hanukkah, Passover or any other time you need a kippah.
Learn how to create a perfect mitered fold while sewing corners by using an easy double fold hem method. Stacy Grissom shows you how.
I’m a sewing and DIY enthusiast and sewing pattern designer. Here at Makyla Creates you will find inspiration for sewing, fun DIY projects, thoughtful gift ideas and simple living.
Use the best kam snaps tutorial and see how to add kam snaps to nearly everything - so easy!
7 Pages of Easy Sewing Exercises For Beginner Sewers Becoming proficient at sewing is really a matter of time spent...
7 Pages of Easy Sewing Exercises For Beginner Sewers Becoming proficient at sewing is really a matter of time spent...
Viking Leather Turnshoes: My Medieval Reenactment persona is a Viking, so naturally I needed some viking shoes. Since TJ Maxx was out of authentic viking wear I made my own, and I'm passing along what I learned in the process in hopes that it will help some other shoeless vi…
This summer dress sewing pattern is inspired by a boho dress I saw on Free People. At full price, I think the dress costs close to $150 to buy, so…
This list of easy sewing patterns for beginners will help any beginner sewer learn new sewing skills and feel more confident learning to sew!
Looking for the perfect sewing basket? Make your own to fit your stitching needs. Great for Applique, English Paper piecing, handwork or for taking to a
Sewing With Silk & Other Delicate Fabrics by Palindrome Dry Goods
I have made so many Hudson pants over the years that I could sew them in my sleep. I have found that every year I need to make a few new pairs for me or my kids and I often batch sew them so I can cut and sew multiple pairs in a fraction of the time. I will say, don't batch sew them until you have made a couple pairs first and checked the fit, but once you have that dialed in, batch sewing is a great option. I often share my batch sewed Hudsons on instagram and get requests for the process so I thought it would fun to sew up three pairs of Mini Hudson pants for my kids to show you. You can definitely use the womens and mens patterns as well when batch sewing since the instructions are identical for all three, I just happened to need mini versions this time around. For fabric I used three beautiful colors of french terry and matching ribbing from I See Fabric. They offered to gift me the fabric to try out and I thought this would be the perfect pairing. I am very impressed with the fabric. Gorgeous, on trend colors that are hard to find and the fabric is super soft and feels like great quality. I've already put in another order on my own dime. OK, let's get sewing. Because I am batch sewing them I forgo coordinating thread for my serger. I put gray in and used it for all three pairs. If you are using your sewing machine you will want to do the same thing for your thread. You still need matching thread for the buttonholes and topstitching, but we will wait til the end to switch those out. Next we sew all of the pockets. Start by ironing the pocket bands and then following all steps for pockets. At the end, line your fronts up like so to make sure all is good and you have a right and left for each . Now, take each back leg and sew up the outer and inside seams and line them all up again. Take each right and left leg and sew up the crotch seams as the instructions say.. Then line them up. Let's finish everything else we can before we need to use our coordinating thread. Start by sewing up the cuffs. Turn them right side out and fold them in half. Give them a press. While at the iron, go ahead and apply the interfacing to the waistband to prepare for the buttonholes. Put the waistband aside and sew each cuff on. Now it's time to switch to your matching thread. I only put it in the top (not the bobbin) to make it easier, but that is up to you. You are going to finish each pair of pant at this point, switch out the thread, and finish the next. I am going to do my pink pair first by sewing on the buttonholes. Next I sew the waistband on, insert the elastic, and then finish by sewing the drawstring topstitching on the waistband and adding in the drawstring. Finish up your other pairs and that is it. Much faster than sewing them each up individually.
Sewing terms are important once you introduce yourself into the world of sewing, this way, you can be more vocal and conversational about your new projects.
Sometimes new laces are just the thing to extend the life of a well-loved pair of sneakers. Whether adding a pop of color to a new pair of shoes or replacing a well-worn set of laces, fabric shoelaces instantly add more color. Take the opportunity to customize a pair for all ages!! Consider batch sewing […]
I often get a question from my readers - how to sew straight? In this guide, I will show you how to easily keep stitching lines straight. I will talk about topstitching mostly because keeping seam allowances equal is a different topic. Have you ever had problems with crooked stitching lines? I bet you had. Even intermediate sewists are struggling sometimes to do it and had to rip and redo stitching. But sewing in a straight line is much simpler than you think. And I want to help you to sew straight every time.
Learn how to create a sewing journal to plan and document your sewing makes. Plus Love Notions updated the Serenity Sweater pattern!
